Eating disorders are way more common than one may think. Its signs, based on the type of disorder, can be extremely evident or incredibly discrete, but their consequences are similar in how damaging they can be to a person’s mental and physical health.
There are many reasons why people suffer from eating disorders and statistics[1] show that “70 million people internationally live with eating disorders” and that number continues to increase.
This makes eating disorders a serious issue that need medical and psychological intervention in order to be treated.
These disorders can also be indicators of other health conditions that have gone undiagnosed or that haven’t been given sufficient attention by either the patient or their health providers. Some of the reasons why people develop eating disorders or are prone to disordered eating include differences in brain structure and biology[2], as well as certain personality traits like perfectionism and impulsivity[3].
One of the most recent findings has been the link between ADHD and impulsive eating
As well as the impact it can have on people who have been diagnosed with either condition. ADHD can be treated with therapy and medication, but it can often go undiagnosed even though the symptoms become noticeable during a person’s childhood; while impulsive eating has become a trait of binge eating disorder (BED), it wasn’t until recently that it has been identified as a symptom or behavior of people with ADHD.
People who eat impulsively or binge regularly are more likely to be overweight and obese[4] and our multidisciplinary team of doctors at LIMARP® is well-equipped to help patients manage their diet if they’ve been diagnosed with ADHD. We understand that each case, along with the diagnosis, is different, and our integral treatment plans are designed according to each patient’s needs and condition. We highly recommend that you talk to a mental health professional if you or someone you know is displaying symptoms of ADHD or impulsive eating in order to avoid self-diagnosis and get the necessary treatment to improve your or their health.
This article will focus on the link that’s been recently found between an ADHD diagnosis and impulsive eating.
Keep in mind that the research done on this specific topic is still fairly recent and that it’s important to contact your doctor for more information on either condition.
To begin, we’d like to discuss more about attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder or ADHD, which is a condition that affects people’s behavior[5], making them seem restless. People, both children and adults, with ADHD may have trouble concentrating and may act on impulse.
This disorder, according to the CDC, is one of the most common mental health conditions among people in the United States and its rate has increased over the past 20 years because of greater awareness, decreased stigma, and better access to healthcare[6].
Still, it’s common for children with ADHD to go undiagnosed and once they develop into adulthood, some of the symptoms they present may not be easily linked to this condition. This is why we recommend that if you’re struggling with impulsive eating or binging, you contact a mental health professional and get screened for ADHD. Impulsivity can be a trait of disordered eating, especially BED and bulimia nervosa, and there have been studies that concluded that it’s more likely for children with ADHD to develop an eating disorder than those who do not have it.
One of those studies[7] found that “some adults and children with ADHD present dysregulated, impulsive eating disorder behaviors and there is a growing association between ADHD, obesity, and binge-eating behavior”. This may be due to several factors that often come with an ADHD diagnosis, such as anxiety, trouble concentrating and planning, boredom, stress, and neurotransmitter deficiencies.
These symptoms can push people with ADHD to impulsive eating patterns or to seek comfort in high-caloric or processed foods, whose sugar levels may give them the spike of dopamine that their brain doesn’t usually produce. Eating can also become a crutch to deal with anxiety or boredom, and when these factors become unregulated, so does their diet. Impulsive eating is also a reason why people “who were diagnosed as children with ADHD were twice as likely to be overweight in a 33-year follow-up study compared to those who were not diagnosed with the condition.”[8]
Impulsive eating may be regulated once the patient starts with their ADHD treatment, but it’s also important to teach them from an early age about healthy eating habits in order to avoid any health problems in the future.
Contact Us to Learn More
If you have ADHD and are struggling with impulsive eating, schedule an appointment with one of our doctors. We can help determine the right treatment for you. Contact us online anytime or give us a call at (619) 373-0229.
References
- [1] “Eating disorder statistics 2022”. https://www.singlecare.com/blog/news/eating-disorder-statistics/. (Accessed August 20, 2022).
- [2] Riva G (2016) Neurobiology of Anorexia Nervosa: Serotonin Dysfunctions Link Self-Starvation with Body Image Disturbances through an Impaired Body Memory. Front. Hum. Neurosci. 10:600. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00600
- [3] Culbert KM, Racine SE, Klump KL. Research Review: What we have learned about the causes of eating disorders – a synthesis of sociocultural, psychological, and biological research. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2015 Nov;56(11):1141-64. doi: 10.1111/jcpp.12441. Epub 2015 Jun 19. PMID: 26095891.
- [4] Marzilli E, Cerniglia L, Cimino S. A narrative review of binge eating disorder in adolescence: prevalence, impact, and psychological treatment strategies. Adolesc Health Med Ther. 2018 Jan 5;9:17-30. doi: 10.2147/AHMT.S148050. PMID: 29379325; PMCID: PMC5759856.
- [5] “Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)”. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd. (Accessed August 25, 2022).
- [6] “ADHD Throughout the Years”. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/timeline.html. (Accessed August 25, 2022).
- [7] Reinblatt SP. Are Eating Disorders Related to Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder? Curr Treat Options Psychiatry. 2015 Dec;2(4):402-412. doi: 10.1007/s40501-015-0060-7. Epub 2015 Oct 9. PMID: 26949595; PMCID: PMC4777329.
- [8] Cortese S, Ramos Olazagasti MA, Klein RG, Castellanos FX, Proal E, Mannuzza S. Obesity in men with childhood ADHD: a 33-year controlled, prospective, follow-up study. Pediatrics. 2013 Jun;131(6):e1731-8. doi: 10.1542/peds.2012-0540. Epub 2013 May 20. PMID: 23690516; PMCID: PMC4074659.